Montserrat was born in the late sixties, a time when people were questioning the status quo and seeking new solutions. A group of artists who were working and teaching in the Boston area had a bold idea: to create a new kind of school for professional education in the visual arts - a school that would not only focus on the arts, but would also focus on the individual needs of each student. A simple idea, but one that had seldom been attempted and rarely achieved. Foregoing the security - but also the limitations - that traditional institutions offered, these artists labored to breathe life into their idea.

In the early years, Montserrat School of Visual Arts, as it was then called, offered a professional diploma in the same studio concentrations for which it is known today. By the 1980s, this still-young institution was accredited and granted the authority to award the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. With that milestone came a new name: Montserrat College of Art.

By 1990, Montserrat had outgrown its original facility and moved to historic downtown Beverly, into the Hardie Building, a newly renovated, nineteenth century building with expanded teaching facilities. Steadily, the college acquired residence halls and the Cabot Studio Building, establishing a vibrant and eclectic seaside campus.

Today, the dream of those artists back in the sixties is a reality. Just as they had hoped, creativity flows at Montserrat College of Art. Students are drawn by the intensive studio environment and one-on-one instruction from our faculty of accomplished artists, designers, and scholars. At Montserrat you will find a place of inspiration, respect, and encouragement, where you can develop your talents and achieve your vision of the future.